Water Leaks

One of the first indications of a water leak is an unexplained increase in the usage amount and dollar amount on your monthly water bill. If there is an increase in usage that cannot be explained by extra people in the house, lawn watering, faucet left on, etc.. there is a possibility that a toilet is leaking, a faucet is dripping, or there is a break in the water line between the meter and the house.

Other sources of leaks can be the sprinkler system, the water softener, or the automatic fill on the swimming pool.

Check Toilets

If a leak is detected; we recommend that you check your toilets first. Our experience shows that most leaks occur in the toilet. A leaking toilet tank can waste hundreds of gallons of water per day!

Color Testing Toilets

Please follow the steps below:

  1. Drop Food Coloring or dry Kool-Aid in tank that does not already contain a coloring agent such as bowl cleaner.
  2. Wait up to 30 minutes without flushing commode.
  3. Check to see if any of the color appears in the bowl without flushing.
  4. The culprit is probably a worn-out ball cock (float) or flapper that needs replaced.

Monitor Your Meter

To identify leaks, we suggest that you monitor your meter. You will need to conduct the monitoring during a time period when you will not be using water. Monitoring while no one is home is ideal.

  1. First, turn off all water inside and outside the house. 
  2. Write down the reading on the meter and the position of the sweep hand. 
  3. Do not use any water for at least two hours. 
  4. At the end on the monitoring period, read the meter a second time.
  5.  If the second reading is different from the first, water flowed through the meter, indicating there may be a leak.

Utility Emergency Service

If you need your water turned off because you have a leak, want to report an apparent water main break in our system, or you are having sewer problems call 281-388-4325 during normal working hours. Emergency service is available after hours by contacting the Alvin Police Department at 281-388-4370.

Sewer Charges

Residential sewer is winter averaged. Adding your consumption for December, January, and February billings, then dividing by 3, gives your winter average. The above formula is used to determine dollar amounts. It is then set as a fixed sewer charge from April through March. 

If you have no winter consumption a 5,600-gallon average is used until changes are completed in April. If you have a leak during the winter averaging usage months, you must have receipts to show repairs have been made for adjustments to your winter average.(6-99). For example, if average is 2000 gals, rate is $28.19. If average is 8000 gals, rate is $44.93.